Skirting The Edge
by DigiDestined of Courage
Summary: Tai nearly loses his mind when he hears that Sora and Matt are engaged. To save his sanity, he and Agumon attempt to go to the Digital World, but that starts a chain reaction that results in a team member turning evil...
1. Over the Edge

Me: I don't own Digimon, as usual

Me: I don't own Digimon, as usual. This is a story I never thought I'd write up! 

Tai: What kind of story? 

Me: A Taiora where you're the bad guy, but it's not of your choice. 

Tai: What?! You're kidding me! 

Me: Nope, 'fraid not. 

****

Digimon-A Taiora Drama

Skirting the Edge

Prologue: Over the Edge

__

"Come on! We've gotta get him back to the Real World now!" 

"I can't believe this happened to him! My own brother!" 

"Why didn't I see it before now? Tai don't leave me! I love you too much for you to die on me now!" 

Confused? I thought you'd be. The name's Kamiya. Tai Kamiya. The reason I'm like this-an inch away from death's door-is simple: I blame it on an evil Digimon, but technically, it's my fault for allowing him to take over like that. Let me start over again from the beginning…

__

Flashback to: Friday May 19, 2009

On this fateful day, about seven years after our triumph against MaloMyotismon, something happened to me, but just telling you isn't enough. I was calm as ever, attempting to forget that my two best friends-Sora Takenouchi and Matt Ishida, the self-proclaimed "cool one"-were still going out ever since that day with the cookies at his concert. I had played it cool on the outside while inside, I was torn apart. I hadn't wanted Sora to be hurt because of me, so I told her to go to him, plain and simple. I thought I'd be able to handle seeing them together, then my pain would pass. It didn't. Instead, as they got closer together, I felt even more fire eat away at my soul and knew that if I didn't do something about it, I wouldn't be the same person they knew. Even Agumon would be affected by it, so I went over to Sora's house in one final attempt to tell her how I felt. 

I thought to myself, _"Even if she doesn't feel the same way about me, at least I'll have told her, and that will be that." _ As I knocked on the door to the Takenouchi residence, I eyed my partner with a solemn look. Despite the fact that all the evil had been taken care of for now, none of us DigiDestined knew when we may be needed to save the world once again, so Agumon had made it his own personal vow-no matter where I went, he would always be by my side. 

"Oh, Tai. Would you like to come in?" My heart visibly hammered in my chest as I took a glance at the one girl I considered to be one of God's angels…Sora Takenouchi, the DigiDestined of Love. 

"Sure, but I can't stay too long. I came by because I've got something to tell you." Almost instantly, my mouth went dry and I felt a lump form in my throat. I took notice in the fact that Sora was blushing faintly, but it was there. 

"You just missed Matt. He left about 10 minutes ago for rehearsal, but there's something I've got to tell you first. Is that okay?" Sora asked quietly. 

"I've got all the time in the world for you, Sor." I replied, then I slapped myself for even allowing those words to come out of my mouth! She didn't take notice, though-she was busy fingering two things: One, the hair clip I'd given to her for her birthday-could that have been 9 years ago?-in her left hand. Two, a diamond ring-about 10 karats could be right, but that lump grew bigger as I realized what Sora was talking about. 

"He asked you to marry him, didn't he?" I had no intention for the sadness to creep out, but it did and Sora looked up and saw my emotions before I had time to put on the mask-pain, betrayal, anger, emotional torture, and tears were brimming around the corners of my eyes. Down below, Agumon eyed Sora with a look of disappointment, anger and…well, let's just say he was madder than he'd been when I'd insulted him about his aim the first time I'd left him in the Digital World!

"Tai, I am so sorry." 

"You don't have to be. There's no reason for you to be sorry." I said. Agumon muttered under his breath, "Yeah, right!" as he headed for the kitchen to find himself something to eat. 

"Don't lie to me, Tai. If you want, I'll call the whole thing off." Sora advised. I casually placed my hand on her shoulder once again, and visibly flinched. 

"Do you know what that would do to Matt? It would kill him beyond belief. You two have built up this amazing relationship for seven years; true, seven is a lucky number, but it can also mean bad luck, especially if you broke a mirror or a black cat crossed your path, or something like that. Don't hurt him just because of me. All I want is for you to be happy…" I whispered in a low voice, "…even if it isn't with me." I knew she'd heard me, because I saw tears start to roll down her cheeks. 

"Tai…" Sora started shaking, and I pulled her into a hug. 

"Shh. It doesn't matter how I feel-all I want is for you to be happy. Remember the song? 

__

'You can't take nothing for granted! You've gotta live life today! 

I turn around, I can see what's behind me; I turn back around, I can see what's ahead! 

And if you don't believe I've been here all along, just turn around, just turn around…'"

I broke the hug and was relieved when Sora had stopped crying, her cheerful face back on. 

"Thank you, Tai. I just wanted to know if you would like to be the one to give me away at our wedding-I would've asked if you could be the best man, but Matt already decided he wants T.K. to fill the role." I felt something in my chest at that second, and groaned slightly. 

"Tai, are you all right?" Sora asked worriedly. I nodded and attempted to shake off the pain. 

"Yeah, just some spasms I've been having for a while now. I've gotta go, but I'll call you later when I've made a decision, okay?" I headed over to the kitchen, yanked Agumon out of the chair he was sitting in opposite Biyomon ("Hey! We were playing 'Go Fish!'") and rushed to the door before I could allow my tears to surface. 

"Sure, Tai. You sure you don't want to stay for a while longer? And what was it you wanted to say?" I turned back around to face her and nearly facefaulted in shock. She had this look in her eyes-the same look I'd seen when she'd wanted to see if Matt was free after the concert, but this time, it was directed at _me_. 

"Uh…just to say 'Congratulations' for seven years, but now to say 'Congrats' for the marriage!" I forced myself to sound enthusiastic as I smiled broadly. Agumon made a "Humph!" sound while Biyomon sighed sadly in the background. 

"Thanks, Tai." I nodded once again, knowing that if I tried to say anything else, I'd either break down in tears or admit my feelings to her. And she no longer needed a protector of Courage to watch over her anymore. Then, I turned and left and kept my sobs silent and quick. 

"Sora, are you sure this is what you want?" Biyomon asked as she swept up the cards off of the kitchen table. 

"Positive, Biyomon. But, I can't help but wonder about that look in his eyes…when he guessed that Matt had asked me to marry him before I even told him, he seemed so sad."

Sora noted. 

"Two people who've known each other for a long time-even those people who can be considered soul mates-can read what the other is thinking on occasion." Biyomon explained. "What did you see in his eyes?" 

"Pain, sadness, anger, betrayal…but mainly guilt, regret, agony and suffering. What could Tai have gone through that would give him such hurt? And why didn't he come to me with this?" Sora asked herself, not knowing that Biyomon already knew the answer. Unbeknownst to Sora and I, Agumon and Biyomon had always kept up the firm belief that the two of us were meant to be together and that nothing would keep us apart-neither one of them had expected Matt to show into the picture; nor had they expected me to just let her go to him without complaint. 

__

"Oh, Sora…sometimes when it comes to true love, you're as blind as a bat! Why can't you see that Tai's _always been there for you whenever you needed a shoulder to cry on? True, Matt saved you from the dark cave and the falling rocks, but what about Tai? He saved you from Andromon, Datamon, Mammothmon, trusted you to look after Kari when she was sick, made that promise to you when we faced Puppetmon, sent you to find Matt and the others so Piedmon wouldn't hurt you and, in a final act of unconditional love, gave you the courage to go to Matt at the extent of his own heart! I think you may have finally pushed him over the edge and into an abyss…an abyss that only _you _can get him out of." _

I was shaking with tears as I raced home with Agumon on my shoulders. 

"Tai, what's the matter?" I stopped and put my partner down before glaring at him with a look so cold that Matt couldn't even counteract it! 

"You know what's wrong! They're getting MARRIED! I've lost! All that time in the Digital World, all those fights and the only thing he had to do to truly win was to get Sora…and he did. I don't know if I can handle all this pressure any longer." I turned away from Agumon and ran the rest of the way to my house, almost oblivious to his protests. 

"You haven't lost yet, Tai! There's still time for you to set things right. The day you lose is the day they say 'I do!' And they haven't said anything yet about a date-all you know is that they're engaged! There's still a chance!" 

I rushed into my room from the door, grabbed my Digivice, as well as Kari's D3, and gasped out, "Digiport, open!" Then, as the portal opened, I put my sister's D3 down and was sucked in with Agumon a heartbeat behind me. 


	2. Consumed with Darkness

Me: Didn't think I'd take this long to produce the first Chapter

Me: Didn't think I'd take this long to produce the first Chapter. I don't own Digimon, yadda, yadda, yadda…

Tai: True, 'cause if you did, there'd be some major changes in the show! 

Me: For one thing, you and Sora would've admitted your feelings to each other in "The Prisoner of The Pyramid" episode-where you and her talk prior to the search for her Crest; that way, she wouldn't be able to agree with what that jerk DemiDevimon told her. 

Tai: That's right! I told her the Crest of Love was perfect for her and as it turns out, I'm right! 

Sora: First time for everything! (giggles)

Tai: What do you mean by that?! 

Me: I'm gonna go before some bloodshed occurs here. Later! 

****

Digimon-A Taiora Drama

Skirting the Edge

Chap. I: Consumed by Darkness

Moments after I'd departed for the Digital World, my little sister Kari came into my room, attempting to find her D3. She found it, but also noticed that my computer was on. 

"Tai? Where are you?" Seconds later, her D3 glowed brightly as black smoke was emitted from the tiny screen before it dissipated. 

"TAI?! WHERE ARE YOU?" Kari cried out worriedly. In enters Gatomon, with a look of horror on her face-she's Kari's Digimon partner in case you didn't guess. 

"What's wrong, Kari? You're looking like someone just walked over your grave!" 

"Something's wrong with Tai. I think he went to the Digital World, but some smoke came out of my D3 a few seconds ago and then it just vanished into thin air." Gatomon's eyes narrowed at that instant. 

"Was it smoke that comes out of a chimney, or the kind of smoke that comes out of a tailpipe in the back of a car?" 

"The smoke that comes out of a chimney. What does that have to do with anything?" 

"'Cause Tai's not in the Digital World…He's in the World of Darkness!" 

True to Gatomon's word, the next time I opened my eyes, I found myself in the World of Darkness. I knew where I was because Kari had told me of her experiences there-when she had doubts about her role as one of the DigiDestined and when she didn't believe she was strong enough to combat against the powers of Darkness. 

"Tai, we should be careful. I'm lucky enough to be able to Warp-Digivolve here, but that won't do us any good if we run across any bad Digimon in _this _place!" Agumon cautioned. I nodded, and kept a firm grip on my Digivice. 

__

"Davis and the others have a firm grip on keeping the Digital World safe without us older kids, Kari's grown up and no longer needs me to keep an eye on her, and Sora and Matt are getting married. I'm not needed by anyone anymore! I guess it's a good thing we ended up here in the World of Darkness anyway. That way, only Ken would be able to come and get me, and he and I aren't even on good speaking terms-not that we were in the first place!" 

Agumon, who'd noticed something really creepy amidst the air, interrupted my thoughts. 

"Tai, look up! We've got problems and I think it's crunch time!" 

****

"You have absolutely no idea how right you are, Digimon of Courage! What are you doing in my domain, DigiDestined of Courage?" My head snapped upward to glare at the one Digimon who I'd only seen once, but had never had a second encounter with, thanks to the new DigiDestined…Daemon! 

"I think Tai's gone into the World of Darkness. I haven't been able to find him nor Agumon during the last 3 hours!" The other DigiDestined were confused. To them, I'd been living the good life! What could have possibly happened to possess me to want to go to that world in the first place? Izzy voiced that exact same question. 

"Huh?" As usual, Davis still didn't understand Izzy lingo-if I'd been there, I'd have agreed with him wholeheartedly. 

"Technically, we all thought Tai had gotten over the whole Sora/Matt relationship, right? What if he'd only been putting up a front, so the rest of us, Kari and Sora especially, wouldn't worry about him? So that would mean, ever since we'd defeated MaloMyotismon seven years ago, Tai's been torn in two thanks to the relationship between Sora and Matt. In conclusion, something cataclysmic must have sent him over the edge. Any theories as to what that would be?" If Yolei hadn't busted inside Izzy's room at that second, Davis would've been even more confused than he was already. 

"Sora sent…me an e-mail! (gasp) She and Matt are…getting…married!" 

"That explains it in a nutshell." Izzy declared. The rest of the team groaned. For reasons that I can't explain, because Kari didn't explain them, she didn't inform all of the older DigiDestined about my disappearance, just Izzy. Izzy would take it upon himself to tell the others when he felt they needed to be told. 

"That's why Tai went to the World of Darkness-because Sora and Matt are getting married!" T.K. realized. 

"You can't be serious, Yolei! Sora and Matt have absolutely nothing in common with each other. Why would they get married?" Cody asked heatedly. 

"Search me! I even have a picture of the ring he gave her-look!" Once everyone crowded around Yolei's laptop, they groaned even louder than before. 

"Just leave me alone with Matt in an alleyway for 5 minutes and then we'll find out if Sora can love him when he's scratched up beyond recognition!" Gatomon growled bitterly. 

"I feel sorry for Tai. I really thought that he and Sora would make a cute couple." Kari, T.K., Cody, Ken, Yolei and Izzy eyed Davis with a confused look. 

"What?! I do! Tai told me about most of his memorable moments and most of those moments happened to be with Sora." Davis snapped impatiently. 

"I don't think Tai's intent was to go to the World of Darkness in the first place. Didn't you say that some smoke came out of your D3's screen?" Ken asked Kari. She nodded. 

"That means it was infected with a virus! The only time it can be dispersed in that way is if someone uses it and attempts to get to the Digital World with it. Tai thought he was going to the DigiWorld, when in reality, he went to the World of Darkness." 

That's when it all came back to her…what they'd done…the events surrounding up to that moment…who they'd sent there beforehand…

"Daemon's in the World of Darkness! Tai could be in big trouble!" Kari cried out. 

Davis grabbed his D3 and pointed it toward Tai's computer. "Digiport, op-"

"Davis, wait!" Ken demanded as he grabbed him by the arm. "If you used your D3, you'd go straight to the Digital World. We need to use _my _D3. It's the safest way to get there and to get back in one piece." 

"All right. Izzy, tell the other DigiDestined about what's happening, but don't tell them the main reason why Tai went to the World of Darkness until we bring Tai back!" 

"I'm on it, Davis. Tentomon, wake up!" Izzy smiled as his Digimon jerked awake and cried out, "Don't touch my tree! Wait-I'm in the Real World! Oh…that was just a dream." 

"Portal of Darkness, open!" Ken yelled out. Seconds later, a dark portal opened up and Ken, Wormmon, Davis, Veemon, Yolei, Hawkmon, Cody, Armadillomon, T.K., Patamon, Kari and Gatomon vanished inside the portal entirely. 

"Izzy, what'd I miss during my nap?" 

"Not right now-unless I miss my guess, the world itself is in danger right now!" 

****

"You've not been living up to your full potential, DigiDestined of Courage. True, you defeated Apocalymon, one of the most powerful of all Digimon, but you defeated Myotismon twice, and he came back as MaloMyotismon-where were you when he returned?" I glared at Daemon with all the hatred I could muster. 

"I couldn't get to the Digital World at that time! Besides, I was there when I was needed. And I have lived up to my full potential! The Real World and the Digital World are at peace with one another!" I growled angrily at the Digimon. 

"Don't listen to whatever he's gotta say, Tai. Remember what happened to Matt? We don't want that to happen again." Agumon warned. 

****

"You say you'd done all that you can do and yet your own desires are unfulfilled. The DigiDestined of Love rejected your heart and smashed it in order to go to the DigiDestined of Friendship, didn't she? And like a coward, you just let her go! You can have your revenge on her, on him, on everyone who ever stood in your way for true power! Just swear allegiance to me!" 

"Tai, don't do it! You know what goes down that path-darkness, evil, pain, and destruction! I'm telling you-Sora still loves you; she just hasn't tapped into that part of herself that remembers all that you did for her. All you gotta do is remind her of all the things you did for her-the time you saved her from Datamon, Mammothmon, Andromon-even though I helped you then with catching her, but still-when you trusted her with Kari when she was sick, the time you made that promise to her-that you wouldn't let anything happen to her…" I stopped Agumon from talking as I rose a hand upward, and smiled evilly. 

"She 's got Matt for that promise now…or does she? I wonder what she would do if she discovered that _I _was the cause of her fiancé's death? Would she accept me with open arms, or would she spurn me again?" I asked myself. Agumon groaned slightly, not liking where this conversation was going. 

"Tai, she'd be mad at you beyond belief! Eventually, she'd forgive you, but think about this: could the one boy she's loved ever since before you came to the Digital World also be the one boy she could actually hate for taking away a chance to be happy?" I stopped my evil thoughts and started crying softly. 

"Agumon…you're right! How could I have even thought about destroying my friends? And Sora…I could never do anything to her that would cause her pain…so, even if she's happy with Matt, I have to be happy too-really happy! Sorry, Daemon, but plans to rule with you are canceled!" I smiled with confidence as I pulled out my Digivice. "And now, it's time to say 'so long!'" 

__

Digimon! 

"Agumon Warp-Digivolve to…" 

__

Digimon: Digital Monsters; Digimon are the champions! 

Warp-Digivolve! 

"…WARGREYMON!!!" 

__

Digimon: Digital Monsters; Digimon are the champions! 

Digimon: Digital Monsters; Digimon are the champions! 

Digimon: Digital Monsters; Digimon! 

The other DigiDestined arrived at the Dark Ocean, not that far from my position, but unless they could see my Digimon in the sky-which they couldn't, 'cause he was on the ground-they had no idea where I was at! 

"Any readings on where to find Tai?" Davis asked cynically as he eyed Kari with a sidelong glance. 

"Let's see…" Kari pulled up her D3 and used it to try and track my signal. "Got it! He's not that far from where we're at. Let's go!" 

****

"WarGreymon…one of the most powerful Digimon in the Digital World. I hear your praises are still sung even to this day. Do you possibly think you have a chance to defeat me? Imperialdramon is known to be stronger than any other Digimon and yet, he still wasn't strong enough to defeat me, even at his Fighting mode. EVIL INFERNO!!" 

WarGreymon quickly connected his wings together to create the Crest of Courage, barely avoiding the fire attack! 

"Try this on for size: PTERA FORCE!!" 

WarGreymon's attack hit Daemon and he groaned in pain! I smiled with ease, not knowing that I was growing overconfident in my own skills. 

****

"I have to admit-I'm impressed. You are truly a most powerful warrior. Too bad that didn't destroy me! EVIL INFERNO!!" This time, a beam of light came out of his hand and before I could react, it hit me right in the chest! I groaned in pain as I felt the darkness within me growing until I found myself consumed by it. I screamed out the name of the one person who I'd loved more than anything in the world, the one who had given her heart to another and the one who would possibly have to destroy me and WarGreymon in order to save both worlds…

"SOOOOOOORRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" 


	3. WarGreymon V.S. Imperialdramon

Me: I don't own Digimon, of course

Me: I don't own Digimon, of course! You all already know what I'd do if I did, so let's just get right to the story. 

Tai: True, but I'm curious: What would you do if you owned Digimon-which of course, you don't?

Me: (eyes Tai with a look) I thought you of all people would know-you and Sora would get married, Davis and Yolei, Matt and Mimi-possibly-and T.K. and Kari. 

Tai: Oh, right. 

****

Digimon

Skirting the Edge

Chapter II-WarGreymon V.S. Imperialdramon

Sora was still at her house tending to the messy state of her room when it happened: A flash of pain starting from the heart and eating away at her soul like a cancer! Instantly, a part of herself was shrouded in pure darkness. Not knowing why, she screamed out the name of the one person who until recently, she thought she'd gotten rid of all her feelings for that person…

"TAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!!!!!!!!" Seconds afterward, Biyomon came in, her eyes filled with worry, concern and a sense of relief. 

"Sora! What happened; are you okay? Does it have something to do with Tai?" Trying to wipe away the tears from her face, Sora nodded. 

__

"Finally! She's realized that a marriage between her and Matt can never happen-that's why she called for Tai. She's figured out who her true soul mate is." 

"He's in trouble…I can feel it! Something tells me that we have a new enemy, and I think that enemy may be Tai himself…" The phone rang a second later and Biyomon went to pick it up. 

"Hello? No, Sora's not in right now, but if you leave your name and number at the sound of the Spiral Twister attack being yelled out, she'll get back to you. Spiral Twister!!" 

Sora started laughing as she reached for the phone. 

"Cut it out, Biyomon! Hello? Oh, hi Matt. What? What about Tai? Where is he?" 

At that moment, I felt my soul split in two as darkness took over my entire body. Obviously, Daemon had done something to bring me and Agumon here and take over my body, but why? Unfortunately, I couldn't answer that question, since I still felt like I was in my body, but someone else had taken over in the driver's seat. 

I eyed WarGreymon and smiled-whatever had taken over me hadn't gotten to my partner. 

That meant he could get out of here and warn the others. 

"Tai! Tai, we're here!" 

****

"The DigiDestined! Perfect-this will work to my advantage. You know what you must do." Daemon demanded. Against my will, I nodded and stepped forward. 

"Yes, Master." 

__

"Why are you listening to that overgrown pushover? You and WarGreymon should be creaming him-or at least wiping the floor with him-not working with him!" 

Kari came up to me and she recoiled back when she got only a few meters from my face. 

"Something's wrong with Tai. I don't know what, but he's not himself." Davis and the others came up a moment later. 

"True, Kari-I'm not myself. I've just been liberated from all emotion, and so has WarGreymon." The part of me that was still me gasped, although no one heard it. 

__

"Everybody, get outta here now! I don't know what I'll do to you as long as I'm under Daemon's control!" Of course, no one could hear me. No one but…

"What was that, Tai? Did you say something?" 

I knew they couldn't see me smile, but I did anyway. _"Get out of here! Daemon's got me under some sort of spell and he's going to try and get revenge on you by using me as his tool!" _

"Guys, we've gotta go!" Kari yelled out. 

"You're not going anywhere! WarGreymon?" The other DigiDestined gasped as WarGreymon's eyes flashed a dark red and he suddenly swooped downward and prepared himself for attack! 

"Veemon…" 

"Wormmon…" 

"Digivolve to…EXVEEMON!!!/STINGMON!!!" 

"ExVeemon…" 

"…Stingmon…" 

"DNA Digivolve to…PAILDRAMON!!!" 

"Terra Force!!" WarGreymon's main attack went soaring toward the team and I was helpless within my own body to stop it. 

"Paildramon Mega-Digivolve to…IMPERIALDRAMON!!!" 

"Positron Laser!!" WHAM! The two attacks collided in midair and exploded. Behind us, Daemon laughed evilly. I wanted to wipe that grin off his face! 

"What have you done to my brother?" Kari yelled angrily. 

****

"I've done just as he said-I've liberated him and his partner from all emotion. That way, he has no feeling at all when he destroys the ones who've betrayed him!" 

"What are you talking about?" Davis asked heatedly. 

That's when I stepped in. "Out of all the members of the team, I thought you'd understand-you betrayed me when you had that crush on my sister, yet by the time you got over her, you still kept at least one or two of her pictures in your room! You betrayed me T.K. for the sole purpose of being Matt's brother! Kari, you're supposed to be my sister and back me up, but you instead date T.K., which is a betrayal in itself! The rest of you, I have no desire to defeat, but being allied with them signifies betrayal. WarGreymon!" 

With a growl, WarGreymon flew in from above and prepared to deliver the final blow. 

"NO! Imperialdramon Mode Change to…FIGHTER FORM!!!" 

WHAM! Imperialdramon tackled WarGreymon and the two of them went hurtling to the ground. 

"Imperialdramon, weaken WarGreymon, but don't destroy him!" Ken yelled out. 

"What if he tries to destroy _me_?!" Imperialdramon retorted impatiently. 

"Let me get this straight-Tai's vanished within hours of some 'incident,' and you choose not to tell us about it until now? Are you crazy, Izzy? He could be in serious trouble!" Matt insisted. 

Izzy sweatdropped as he managed to keep away the one e-mail that he didn't want the others to find-the one that Kari had sent about me turning evil due to Daemon! 

"True, but Kari and the others wanted to see if they could find Tai in the World of Darkness by themselves. Besides, us older kids don't have access to that world in the first place. We'd need Ken to be here, and he can't be in two places at once, can he?" Izzy replied. Everyone agreed with his statement. 

Sora hadn't said a single word since she and Biyomon had gotten to Izzy's house. Matt noticed that something was definitely wrong when she didn't hug him like she usually did. 

"You okay?" Sora looked up, but didn't say anything at first. 

"It's Tai. I'm scared that something has happened to him and it's all my fault." 

Matt smirked with ease. "Don't worry-I'm sure Tai's fine. He probably needed to let off some steam when he heard he wasn't going to be the best man at the wedding." Biyomon's eyes narrowed in irritation and anger. 

__

"This is just one of many reasons why marrying Matt wouldn't work out-he doesn't show any emotion! He tries to coast through life, not having a care in the world about anybody! Sometimes I wonder why he got the Crest of Friendship in the first place!" 

Sora finally eyed Matt, and he realized that he'd said the wrong thing. 

"What if he's not 'all right?' Something's wrong with him; I can feel it! You're supposed to be Tai's best friend! Your Crest is the Crest of Friendship! Don't you care at all what happens to Tai?" Matt tried to hold his temper, but he knew that sooner or later, someone would press the wrong button and he'd snap. Matt had been hoping that I would press that button, and not Sora. 

"OF COURSE I CARE ABOUT TAI! I'm just saying that it's not right for us to go rushing in there without knowing what's going on!" 

"Calm down you two, before one of you has a stroke or a heart attack! I think we should just sit down and think about this rationally." Joe advised. At that instant, a dark portal opened up on Izzy's computer screen and Ken came flying out! 

"Ken?! Are you okay? What's going on?" Izzy asked in shock. Mimi came rushing in with Palmon at her heels. 

"A fine time for you to call me, Izzy-at 3:00 A.M. in the morning! I had to get off of three different planes before I could get here! What's so important that it couldn't wait until it was morning at my time?" she complained heatedly. 

"You'll have to excuse Mimi. It's jet lag!" Palmon cracked. The Digimon laughed, but none of the DigiDestined were in a laughing matter-and neither was Ken. 

"I thought…you guys…knew about…Tai, but you…obviously didn't get…Kari's e-mail. 

Daemon's back…and he's turned Tai…and WarGreymon…against us…" Ken gasped. 

Sora felt unshed tears come to her eyes before spilling over. 

"Tai…" 

"How much longer until Ken returns with the others?" Yolei questioned as Sylphymon and Shakkoumon went out to help Imperialdramon against WarGreymon. 

"He left about five minutes ago, so we'll give him another five!" Davis yelled back. 

"Terra Force!!" WarGreymon's attack sent Sylphymon and Shakkoumon spiraling to the ground! Seconds after that, Sylphymon deDigivolved back to Gatomon and Hawkmon; Shakkoumon deDigivolved to Patamon and Armadillomon. 

"That felt like going up against Black WarGreymon…but 100 times worse, since WarGreymon's had more battle experience than Black WarGreymon!" Gatomon moaned angrily as she struggled to her feet. 

"Maybe we should try using Azulongmon's power. There's no way WarGreymon could survive an assault like that!" T.K. suggested. 

Kari was hesitant at first, but that's when she heard something. 

__

"If you can defeat WarGreymon, you'll release whatever power's keeping him under Daemon's control! Give it you're all and remember what Agumon said once: 'If life hands you lemons, make lemon pie!'" 

"Okay-let's do it!" Kari yelled out bravely. 

"Patamon Digivolve to…ANGEMON!!!" 

"Angemon…" 

"Gatomon…" 

"Digivolve to…" 

That's when things went south. Daemon chose that moment, when two of our Angel Digimon were at their weakest, to attack. 

****

"I don't think so! EVIL INFERNO!!" 

I groaned from within my body as Angemon and Gatomon were scorched by the flames and weren't able to Digivolve to the Ultimate level! As Gatomon fell to her knees in pain, Angemon deDigivolved back to Patamon. 

"Now, for the piece de resistance: WarGreymon! Time to finish him off!" I yelled. 

"NOVA FORCE!!" WarGreymon spun around with his "dramon destroyers" aimed right for Imperialdramon! And my Digimon went so fast, that Davis and Ken's Digimon didn't see the attack coming until it was too late! 

"AHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!" Davis ran past me as Imperialdramon started his long descent to the ground, deDigivolving to Veemon and Wormmon on the way. He barely caught the both of them in time. 

"Are you two okay?" Davis asked worriedly. Veemon and Wormmon weakly nodded. 

"As 'Dramon' Digimon, we were completely defenseless against WarGreymon's 'Dramon Destroyers.' So, we'd have no chance at all if we were Paildramon or Imperialdramon." Veemon explained. 

"That's just perfect! So, to even have ½ a chance against this guy, you guys would have to be Champion Digimon?! You've tried your best as ExVeemon against MaloMyotismon and against Black WarGreymon, so I guess it could work." Davis realized. 

"Why don't we just give him no chance? Terra Force!!" WarGreymon's main attack went flying toward Davis, Veemon and Wormmon! 

"Veemon Digivolve to…EXVEEMON!!!" 

"WUHH!" ExVeemon was hit hard by the attack and was sent flying backward, but wasn't hurt that badly. 

"Davis! Hold on; we're coming!" Matt and the other DigiDestined arrived on the scene with their Digimon at their highest levels. Daemon smiled evilly. 

****

"The plot thickens…" Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Sora and Matt atop Garudamon, and my heart hardened with pain, anger and rage. 

__

"Oh, Sora…if you only knew what you were doing to me, this whole thing wouldn't have happened! I wouldn't be within seconds from destroying you guys and your Digimon!" 


	4. The Sword of Darkness

Me: I don't own Digimon

Me: I don't own Digimon. I hate these stupid disclaimers! 

Tai: Why do you do them again? 

Me: (sighs impatiently) What do I have to do-post a Stick it on your forehead?! So I can't claim you as property and make tons of money off of you! 

Davis: Calm down, dude! Here, have a donut. 

Me: Where'd you get the donuts and why are you eating them in my room? 

Veemon: There was this donut shop somewhere in this town and Davis went inside to get some. 

Me: He didn't take you in there with him, did he? I don't think America-or the world-are ready to know that Digimon still exist. 

Veemon: Of course not! Davis isn't that stupid. 

Davis: You tell him, Veemon! HEY! Who says I'm stupid? Was it T.M. again? 

Me: (groans) I hate my life…

****

Digimon

Skirting the Edge

Chapter III-The Sword of Darkness

I narrowed my eyes with anger and briefly considered giving in to the powers that had taken over my body, but instantly discarded that idea. If I did, then the others would have to destroy me and delete WarGreymon, and I wasn't about to let my partner get deleted in the World of Darkness for my mistake. Speaking of which…

"Tai! What are you doing?" Matt asked as he came up to me, Sora at his heels. I felt my hands clench and knew I was preparing to launch a punch. I seriously hoped that Matt would land the first one, though. 

"I've been purged from all emotion, former friend." 

__

"Matt, don't listen to me! Get Sora out of here while you still can!" 

****

"I suggest you get out of here while I lack the ability to cross worlds, otherwise your friend will destroy you." Daemon again. Wasn't this guy ever gonna give up?! 

Turning toward Sora, I felt my heart contract in pain, and I knew I was speaking from the heart this time! 

"You've enjoyed watching me suffer, don't you? You _knew _how I felt, but you decided to go for Matt anyway, didn't you?! You just _love _watching me squirm and get eaten away at, don't you?" Tears were coming down my cheeks, but I made no attempt to wipe them away. I was hurting, inside and outside, and it was time that she saw the pain she's inflicted upon me these past years. 

Sora stood there, in shock. She was utterly amazed at the emotion on my face. I've always kept my emotions in check; even when she went to Matt that Christmas, I hid my feelings from her. 

"Tai, I…" 

"But telling you isn't enough, is it? No it isn't! You're gonna have to feel some pain! En garde!" I thrust my hand forward, and a beam of dark energy shimmered in front of it. Seconds afterward, a sword appeared in my hand. The other DigiDestined were shocked and worried. They were wondering the same thing I was-how'd that sword appear out of nowhere? 

****

"Behold, DigiDestined: The Sword of Darkness! With this special weapon, your Digimon won't be able to survive!" Daemon's voice boomed above our heads. I groaned loudly as I fought to regain control of my body. I wasn't winning, because the sword rose upward toward Sora's throat! 

"Sora, get out of the way!" Garudamon warned. I silently agreed with her. 

__

"Please Sora, if you ever loved me once in your life, grab the sword by the hilt and kill me right now!" 

Kari tackled me from behind at that moment and knocked the sword out of my hand. Sora grasped it and aimed it at my heart. I pulled Kari over my head and shoved her roughly to the ground. 

"Do it! DO IT! Go ahead and finish me off right here!" I growled angrily. I pulled out my Digivice and its restorative powers caused WarGreymon to deDigivolve back to Agumon. The good news was, he was back to normal; the bad news, I wasn't. 

**__**

"You know what must be done, for the good of the Digital World, the safety of the Real World, DigiDestined of Love. Kill him now before his evil spreads and takes over, just like someone should've killed the Digimon Emperor!" Sora shook with pain and sadness as the sword quivered in her hand. Matt came up beside her with Biyomon and Gabumon. 

"It may be the only way to free him." Matt noted. Sora cried out and tossed the sword to the ground. 

"NO! I can't kill Tai! There must be another way to get him back other than killing him." 

Agumon agreed with her. "Sora's right. There's another force at work other than Daemon. Tai's being controlled by an evil more powerful than him! Even though Daemon gave him the Sword of Darkness, this other evil has almost total control over Tai's body." 

"Then what do we do if we can't kill Tai?" Kari asked. 

"We could try an exorcism. Didn't you guys have that as a movie in the Real World?" Gatomon questioned. 

"That was in America! We might not have any other choice than to kill him." Matt insisted. 

"Matt, think about this. If you were in Tai's position, what would he do?" Gabumon asked. 

"He'd kill me in a heartbeat if it meant being with Sora, so I can't do any less!" Daemon laughed evilly as Matt grabbed the sword and thrust it forward. 

"NO! DON'T DO IT, MATT!" Sora pleaded. 

Agumon's eyes narrowed angrily and thanks to Azulongmon's power, he Warp-Digivolved!   


"Agumon Warp-Digivolve to…WARGREYMON!!!" 

"Don't even _think _about hurting Tai! Mega Claw!!" WarGreymon's claws collided with the Sword of Darkness and Matt was forced back a few feet. 

"Matt, what were you thinking?" Biyomon yelled angrily as Matt suddenly groaned and dropped the Sword. 

"I…I don't know. When I had the Sword, I had this unmistakable urge to just hurt Tai with it." 

I got up off of the ground and, ignoring the pain I felt in my heart, grabbed the sword and ran off toward the ocean. 

"Tai, wait!" WarGreymon flew after me, Sora, Biyomon and Kari keeping up as fast as they could. I struggled to not look back, knowing what I would see even if Sora weren't next to Matt. 

"Don't follow me!" I demanded sadly, as I reached my destination-a rock face overlooking the Dark Ocean. I climbed it and reached the top. 

"Tai, what are you doing?" WarGreymon asked as he touched ground and deDigivolved back to Agumon. 

"I've got to do this. This way, I won't hurt anyone else. And, I especially won't hurt Sora…she'll be free to marry Matt with no complications from me." 

"Tai, this isn't you talking! It's the being inside you that's controlling you. Remember what happened with Oikawa? What if you end up doing what he did-changing into data to save the Digital World? How would Sora feel about that?" Agumon asked. 

"She'd feel some pain, but it would pass when she's swept up into Matt's arms." I bitterly replied. 

"But this isn't how things are supposed to go! This isn't mentioned in the prophecy at-" Agumon stopped talking and covered his mouth up, but I'd already heard him. 

"What prophecy? Agumon, is there something you're not telling me?" I demanded. 

"Let's find a way to the Digital World. Then, you can talk to Gennai and he'll explain everything." I shook my head. 

"You're not going to tell me about this prophecy?" I asked sadly. My partner shook his head. 

"Then talking to Gennai would be a futile gesture." I finally took notice that a sheath was at my side, dark as the skies were around me. So, I put the sword in the sheath and jumped off just as Sora, Kari, Davis, Matt and the other DigiDestined came running in! 

"Tai! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!" Sora and Kari both dived toward me, but it was way too late! 

"It can't be…" Davis dropped to his knees in shock and disbelief. 

Agumon stood there, a complacent look on his face. 

"He's not gone…I can feel it." Matt felt like shaking him right then and there, but he knew Agumon was, in a way, telling the truth. 

"What do you mean?" Veemon asked. 

"Whenever we defeated a Digimon in the old days, it would delete and reconfigure itself into data. Gennai informed us that if one of the DigiDestined died in the heat of battle, their partner would be automatically deleted and reconfigured into data. The question is, would that Digimon be reborn at Primary Village?" Agumon explained. 

"Why would Tai want to kill himself?" Gatomon asked. 

"He was hesitating a bit, but I think I might've convinced him to do it when I accidentally let it slip out about the prophecy…" 

At that instant, Biyomon, Gatomon, Gabumon, Tentomon, Palmon, Patamon and Gomamon's faces all shot upward and glared at Agumon; Veemon, Wormmon, Hawkmon and Armadillomon had confused looks on their faces. 

"Prophecy? What prophecy?" Matt asked. 

"How could you let it slip out about the prophecy?! You're supposed to be Tai's friend and not telling him about it could've signed his death warrant!" Biyomon yelled angrily as she continuously pecked on Agumon's head. 

"OW! Tai wasn't supposed to-OW!-know about it until-OW!-after it happened! OW! And neither are-OW!-the rest, which includes-OW!-Sora! CUT IT OUT!" Agumon demanded angrily as he finally pushed Biyomon off his head and headed down the cliff. 

"Where are you going, Agumon?" T.K. asked. 

"To find Tai! At least someone on the team still cares about him!" Agumon snapped as he glared at Sora one final time before vanishing out of sight entirely. 

"He's right! We've got to find him. He still has the Sword, so we should be careful." Sora cautioned as she started to climb down. Matt stopped her. 

"We can't. It's almost night, and we should get some sleep. We can come back tomorrow and start searching." Kari pushed Matt out of her way and attempted to climb down. 

"You wouldn't be saying that if _Sora_ was the one down there, would you?! Sometimes I wonder why you got the Crest of Friendship in the first place!" Matt and Kari both glared at each other, fire blazing from their eyes. 

"Just like your brother, always rushing into things without a plan…excuse me-former brother!" 

That's when Kari snapped. She dived towards Matt and started pummeling the living daylights out of him! 

"IF TAI CAN WIPE THE FLOOR WITH YOU, THAT MEANS I CAN, TOO! I'LL SHOW YOU WHAT A KAMIYA CAN DO!" Kari growled as the two of them traded punches and blows. It took Gatomon, Gabumon, basically all of the Digimon, Davis, Ken, Yolei and T.K. together to finally separate the two. 

"Stop it, Kari! This isn't going to get Tai back. And as much as I'd hate to admit it, Blond Boy's right. There's something here that's causing you guys to act crazy and we should all get back to the Real World now before you act any crazier." Gatomon cautioned. 

With reluctance, Sora and Kari walked with the others to the spot that had the faintest hint of light. 

"Portal of Darkness, open!" Ken yelled out. Once again, another portal opened up above their heads and they were safely pulled into it. All of the DigiDestined-especially Sora-couldn't help but feel that they were all leaving me behind for good…


	5. Return of an old Friend...and Foe

Me: I don't own Digimon, as usual

Me: I don't own Digimon, as usual. Why? I don't know, but if I did, I'd have Toei change all the episodes they screwed up at the end of Season II-from "A Very-Digi Christmas" to "A Million Points of Light"-nothing but pure Taiora! 

Tai: That's it; you tell 'em! 

Sora: We won't take this lying down any longer! 

Agumon/Biyomon: We'll help! 

Agumon: Agumon Warp-Digivolve to…WARGREYMON!!! 

Biyomon: Biyomon Digivolve to…BIRDRAMON!!! Birdramon Digivolve to…GARUDAMON!!!

Me: (gulps) Uh…thanks you guys, but we don't need to blow them up, just get them to change those last 13 episodes…oh, boy! 

****

Digimon

Skirting the Edge

Chapter IV-Return of an old Friend…and Foe

__

Kari: 10 years have passed since we were forced to return to the Real World and leave behind my big brother and Agumon in the Real World. The year is now 2019. Sora and Matt got married after a year had passed with us not returning to go back for Tai, since Ken had mysteriously disappeared without a trace. Without Ken, there was no way for us to get to the World of Darkness and we all continued our lives as best we could…

"And if you don't believe I've been here all along, just turn around, just turn around…" 

Nine years of being Mrs. Yamato Ishida and Sora wasn't as happy as she thought she'd be. Biyomon looked after her two children, Taichi and Jennifer whenever Matt couldn't-which was all the time! He was either too busy working with his band or out in space to spend time with his family these days. 

"Sometimes, I wonder what happened to Tai after we gave up on him all those years ago…I miss him so much…" 

"Still thinking about him, huh Sora?" She turned and smiled as her Bird Digimon appeared via a windowsill. 

"Whenever I'm not thinking up designs, I'm thinking about him. Whenever I plant roses with red rims around the petals, I think about him." 

"Sometimes, I wonder what happened to Agumon after he went down to find Tai, if he ever found him. And if he did, why didn't he try to contact us." 

Sora nodded in agreement and failed to keep some tears trickling down her cheeks. "Biyomon, I think this whole marriage could've been a mistake! I'm starting to feel like the only reason I married Matt wasn't because of how I felt back then, but because Tai wasn't here and I didn't want to break his heart. What can I do?" 

Biyomon's answer was quick, blunt and to the point: "Try to move on with your life. If Tai ever does show up-although, as Izzy would say it, that would be highly unlikely after ten years-you can tell him how you feel. If you don't feel like you can save your marriage with Matt, then don't try; it'll only hurt you more in the long run." 

The World of Darkness…it had gotten steadily worse ever since that incident with Tai! Trees that still existed had toppled over to the ground and hadn't moved once, the skies had gotten even darker than before and the Dark Ocean lapped lifelessly, the waves crashing in once every so often…and Daemon pondered over it all, his thoughts focused on escape. 

****

"Most unusual…for years, I've tried every means necessary to get back to the Real World but without success. Even when I gave that boy the Sword of Darkness, I hoped he'd be the missing link to my plans, but he defected and left with the Sword! 

If only there was something I wasn't missing, some fatal flaw…" 

"How about this: Spiking Strike!!" An attack from Stingmon sent Daemon back a few feet, but he turned and chuckled. 

****

"The DigiDestined of Kindness. After a decade, you still haven't learned your lesson. When you've run away, just keep running. EVIL INFERNO!!" Stingmon grunted as he was nearly tossed to the ground! Ken Ichijouji came running in and smirked. 

"I've gained a few more tricks since the last time we fought! I bet you haven't seen this type of Digimon before, have you? Digivolve, Stingmon!" 

"Stingmon Digivolve to…DINOBEEMON!!! Dinobeemon Mega Digivolve to…GRANKUWAGAMON!!!" 

Daemon laughed evilly as the Mega Digimon loomed over him like a fly waiting to be squashed. 

****

"You think Digivolving without ExVeemon helps you?! IT DOESN'T! EVIL INFERNO!!" 

"Dimension Scissors!!" GranKuwagamon's attack collided with Daemon's and a big explosion nearly knocked Ken off of his feet! 

"If only we had some help…" Ken began worriedly. 

__

"And have help you shall, old friend…" A voice said, coming from out of nowhere. Ken rose his eyebrows in confusion, looking around him but seeing nothing. That's when he heard a scream of torment. The thing is, it wasn't coming from GranKuwagamon, who'd deDigivolved back to Wormmon-it was coming from Daemon! 

****

"Who dares…to invade…my body?!" 

__

"I _dare! For years, I've watched you as you absorbed energy that I've collected to restore my body back to its former glory. I'm lucky to even have a shape at all, no thanks to you! And you're lucky that I've used what's left to keep this World from collapsing in on itself!" _

****

"What are you…talking about? AHHHHH!" 

__

"Thanks to you absorbing the energy I needed to restore my body, the World of Darkness was weakened as a result! Anyone could've come in at anytime these past years and defeated you, but with his disappearance the other DigiDestined thought they had no access to this world. Lucky you. And now, I take my revenge and help him destroy you!" 

Ken and Wormmon watched in amazement as Daemon screamed the scream of the damned and to their surprise, his body started to close in on itself! 

****

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!" 

A second after, Daemon burst into a tiny flame and vanished. Ken and Wormmon gaped in shock. 

"Who are you? Why did you destroy that Digimon?" Ken asked. 

__

"Who I am is unimportant. The truth of the matter is, you must get to your friends immediately before it's too late, for the Digital World and the Real World…" 

Nodding, Ken picked up Wormmon and aimed his Digivice to the darkened skies above. 

"Portal of Darkness, open!" Ken demanded. Within seconds, Ken and Wormmon vanished. 

Unbeknownst to either of them, a figure appeared out of the shadows with an evil grin plastered on his face. 

"The plot thickens…" The thing about this guy was that he clutched the Sword of Darkness in his hand, but he had no Digivice clipped to his side! 

Ken and Wormmon collapsed to their knees in the school computer room! 

"That hasn't changed much." Ken muttered as he and Wormmon stood up. 

"Ken, we've got to find the others." 

"It's been ten years since Tai's disappearance! They've all gone and led different lives now ever since Yolei and I divorced and we moved to America without telling them. How are we going to contact everyone with the short amount of time that we have?" Ken asked. 

"You could always ask an old friend for guidance." Ken and Wormmon turned in shock to see…

"Gennai?! What are you doing here?" 

"Azulongmon told me that there was something amiss going on in the World of Darkness. That's why he had me send a cloud-like being there to help you defeat Daemon. You do understand that I had no choice but to destroy him, right?" 

Ken nodded. "There wasn't any other way. And it's not like we could've sent him to a different World of Darkness." 

"True. But, I think I may know where Tai is. The only problem is, I'd only be able to send one of you DigiDestined in after him. The portals surrounding the Dark Ocean are too weakened for long-range transport." Gennai warned. Ken smiled a bit. 

"Don't worry, Gennai. I've got just the person who's right for the job…if I can find her." 

Thanks to Gennai's help, Ken was able to effectively find the Ishida household. 

Ken rapped on the door, feeling a bit on edge. 

"I'm not sure about this, Wormmon. It's been 10 years, and for her to find out like this-"

"She's got to know, Ken. She may be the only one who can save Tai from himself, or the only one who can destroy him." 

"But, what if she says-"

"Says what?" a voice asked calmly. Ken and Wormmon looked up, then downward to see…

"Biyomon! It's been too long." Nodding, she invited them inside. 

"Matt's off on another space trip or he'd be here on the couch watching TV. Sora's out in the flower shop or she'd be thinking about the good old days. Do you guys want something to eat?" Ken politely shook his head. 

"I wish this was a social call, but I met up with Gennai, and he knows where to find Tai." 

Biyomon almost fell out of the chair when she heard that! "Find Tai? Where? And what about Agumon? Is he okay?" 

"Calm down before you have a stroke." Wormmon advised. Biyomon ruffled her feathers in annoyance. 

"Digimon don't get strokes! Sure, they catch viruses from time to time, but not strokes! Now, what about Tai and what would this have to do with Sora?" 

Ken felt even _more _uncomfortable after hearing this tiny conversation, but he forced himself to relax. "Gennai told me that the only way for us to get Tai back was for one of the DigiDestined to risk one final trip to the World of Darkness and…well, uh…" 

"Whoever goes has to fight Tai, don't they?" The three sweatdropped in amazement to see Sora, with some tears coursing down her cheeks. 

"They do. I figured that you'd be perfect for the job since you've known Tai the longest, next to Kari. So, what do you say?" Sora took a breath and composed herself. 

"Let's go save Tai!" 


	6. The Daggers of Love

Me: I don't own Digimon, yadda, yadda, yadda

Me: I don't own Digimon, yadda, yadda, yadda! I also don't own "Here We Go" off the aforementioned Digimon soundtrack. 

Tai: Aren't you getting tired of these disclaimers? 

Me: What would you rather have me say-I don't own Digimon and get right to the story?! 

Tai: YES! 

Me: Well, you're not me, so HA! 

****

Digimon

Skirting the Edge

Chap. V-The Daggers of Love

Ken Ichijouji, Wormmon, Biyomon and Sora Takenouchi-Ishida returned to the old Elementary School one last time and, as Ken had stated, found Gennai waiting for them, still as young as he was during their World Tour. 

"Gennai? I can't believe you're still alive after all this time!" 

Sora smiled as Gennai embraced her gently. "Neither can I. On some mornings, it takes me a few moments to stretch my arms and then I remember-my arms don't need stretching! Now, to business. I'm sure Ken's told you about the whole thing with Tai, right?" 

The young woman simply nodded and maintained her composure. 

"Unfortunately, we can't track Tai for one reason-he no longer has his Digivice, but an old friend thought that would be a good reason for him not to have it; this way, he can't force him to Digivolve." Biyomon's head popped up at that instant. 

"Huh? You mean…?" 

"SURPRISE!" A familiar orange dinosaur appeared from behind the computer screen, holding a Digivice around his neck. 

"Agumon!" Biyomon and Wormmon both hugged their old friend tightly and Agumon hugged them right back. 

"I certainly feel the love in this room!" Agumon joked as they released him from the hug. 

"Very funny!" Biyomon snapped cynically. "Now, what happened to you after you left us?" 

"This may take a while, so does anyone have some lemon pie?" Agumon asked calmly. 

"You don't have time for explanations _or _lemon pie! The three of you must go to the World of Darkness and save Tai from himself. To do that, you must destroy the Sword of Darkness." Gennai insisted. 

"But with what? We don't have any weapons to counteract against that Sword!" Ken objected. Gennai nodded in response. 

"I had planned to give you these weapons during your World Tour, but something came up that prevented that from occurring. I suppose now is as good a time as any to hand them out. Sora, these are for you." Sora gasped in shock as Gennai handed her a pair of Japanese _sai _daggers! 

"What are these for, Gennai?" 

"Those are your _sai _daggers-the Daggers of Love. Like the Sword of Darkness, they emit a beacon of pure energy and allow you to destroy any weapon or enemy with evil around it-or inside. They also help guide you to your true love when you'll need to realize it most." 

Sora smiled broadly as she accepted the Daggers without complaint. 

"Thank you, Gennai! But, what's that under the…oh." 

Under the sheet that the Daggers had been on was a Sword that looked similar to the Sword of Darkness, but it had the Crest of Courage as a hilt. Sora picked it up and it glowed a faint red-orange like color. 

"That is the Sword of Courage. Whoever wields that Sword has the power to defeat a Mega Digimon in one swipe! With the exception of your Daggers Sora, it's the only weapon that can actually survive in a battle against the Sword of Darkness. The question is, which Sword is the more powerful-the Sword of Courage or the Sword of Darkness?" 

Ken chose that moment to speak up. "Gennai, why is it glowing?" 

"That reason is simple enough. Have you told them about the prophecy yet?" Gennai asked directly to Biyomon and Agumon. 

The two Digimon objected. "No! Of course not!" 

"Good! There'll be time for that later. Since Tai's not here to harness the Sword's power, we need Daisuke. Where is he?" Gennai noted. 

"Davis? The last time I saw him, he and Veemon were at the soccer field with his son." Sora explained. 

Ken stood up. "Wormmon and I will go get them and bring them here. Wherever you find Tai at, his Digivice should respond and we'll be able to track you down." 

Sora nodded. "Okay. You guys ready?" Biyomon and Agumon nodded. 

"Then let's get going!" 

__

Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh…

Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, ohooooo…

Seconds later, Sora, Agumon and Biyomon found themselves at the cliff face where Tai had attempted to kill himself at years ago. 

"Figures! Our last trip back and we land on this cliff! Why couldn't we have landed on the beach or somewhere cool?" Agumon complained impatiently. Neither Biyomon nor Sora responded to his question-Sora was visibly shaking, struggling to hide her tears and Biyomon was attempting to console her. 

"This was where Tai tried t-to kill himself, isn't it?" Sora stuttered out. Agumon sweatdropped and eyed his friends with a worried look. 

"No! Not at all. That cliff's somewhere else, on the other side of the beach. Let's get going. I've got a reading somewhere in the distance." Agumon then started forward, knowing that he'd lied to Sora, but also to try to avoid an onslaught of tears. 

Near their location, a lone figure stepped out from behind some rocks, still carrying the Sword of Darkness in his hand. 

"They're here…" 

"Let me get this straight: Tai's alive in the World of Darkness somewhere? Sora went after him armed with nothing but a pair of _sai _daggers? And I'm not supposed to worry?" 

Yamato "Matt" Ishida kept his anger in check, but barely as he eyed Gennai through his Dterminal at the NASA launch site. 

"That's right. There's no need for you to worry about a thing-except the consequences of what may happen if she continues on her current path." At that comment, Matt was confused. 

"'Her current path?' I don't understand. What do you mean?" 

Gennai simply answered his question with another. "Do you remember what happened on that Christmas with a box of cookies and a certain concert?" A second later, he disappeared, leaving Matt alone in his solitude. 

"Well Matt, what's wrong? Are we needed back home?" Gabumon asked. 

"I think we are. Which means we don't have much time. Aren't T.K. and Kari visiting Mimi and Izzy in New York today?" 

"Possibly. Although, I wouldn't know too much about it. The last time I saw Patamon was about a month ago, and he didn't mention travel plans to me." 

"We've got to take that chance. Let's go!" 

In enters Daisuke "Davis" Motomiya, followed by Miyako "Yolei" Inoue-Motomiya, Veemon and Hawkmon on Ken, Wormmon and Gennai. 

"You're…lucky Jun was…willing to…look after the…kids today, Ken! What's up?" Davis gasped out. 

Ken responded by pulling back the sheet, which revealed the Sword of Courage. Davis and Yolei stood in awe of its beauty. 

"Technically, it belongs to Tai. But since he's not here, the honor is bestowed upon you, Daisuke, to join Sora in the World of Darkness and battle Tai to a standstill." Gennai explained. 

Not only was Davis amazed as he picked up the Sword-and it started glowing that same color it had glowed earlier-he was worried; he knew how much power the Sword of Darkness held. What if the same was true for the Sword of Courage? 

Gennai noticed his discomfort and smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry. This weapon and the Daggers of Love are the only ones that can withstand the powers of the Sword of Darkness. We've got a situation. Someone's opened an unauthorized gate into the Dark Ocean!" 

"Who?" Yolei asked. 

"Matt and T.K., but only Matt's gone through it along with Gabumon." Davis groaned. 

"Then we gotta stop 'em-both Tai and Matt! Tai doesn't know what he's doing; Matt on the other hand is probably hell-bent on killing him!" Davis warned angrily. 

"How do we get there Gennai?" Veemon asked. 

"Use Ken's D3 to activate a portal and you'll be transported right there. Good luck." 

Davis nodded and stood back as Ken prepared to activate another portal.   
"Portal of Darkness, open!" he demanded. Once the portal opened up, Davis and Veemon went straight through, not knowing that Yolei had grabbed Hawkmon and jumped in right after them! 

"The fair Sora Takenouchi…you haven't aged a bit." 

Sora, Agumon and Biyomon turned to see Taichi "Tai" Kamiya facing them on top of another rock cliff, the Sword of Darkness gripped tightly in his hand. 

"Taichi…?" 

Sora was awestruck by how Tai looked, even if he was being controlled by evil. His bushy hair was gone, replaced by a crew cut. He still sported the blue coat with the paw prints on it and the headband, though. 

"You look gorgeous…" 

Agumon impatiently cleared his throat and that snapped Sora out of her trance. 

"What are you doing?! You married Matt and after seeing Tai for five seconds, you're drooling all over him like a piece of steak? We're supposed to help him!" 

"Oh, r-right! Tai, you need help. I want to make up for what I did." Tai glared at her with malice and contempt in his chocolate eyes, usually warm and caring but now with a coldness around them. 

"You can't! You shattered my heart to pieces years ago and now you must pay the price of betrayal!" Tai rose the Sword upward to the skies and it gleamed brightly in the dim lighting. 

"Tai, I didn't betray you! You told me to go to him when you could've told me to stop!" 

"Am I supposed to be in the wrong here? All I wanted was for you to be happy and you spurned me! You stopped being my best friend and didn't even _try _to come after me! You left me here to rot in this world with Agumon as my only companion." Tears flowed freely from Tai's eyes with no intention of stopping. 

"Tai, we could've tried to get back to the Real World by ourselves and found her. Then you could've told her then how you felt." Agumon advised. 

"Don't think you won't get what's coming to you too, old friend! You stole my Digivice and tried to get out of here without me! Obviously, you succeeded." Tai turned away from his partner and back to Sora, the Sword quivering in his hand. 

"I thought I could wait for you. For ten long years, I waited for you to come back, but you never did. Why? Too cozy in Matt's loving arms for you to even give a damn about me?" 

Sora shivered with pain and sadness as she revealed the Daggers by her waist. "Tai, if you try something, I will have to stop you." Tai smirked, knowing that she'd had help from Gennai. 

"You don't understand Sora: I _want _you to stop me!" That said, Tai leaped off of the rock with the Sword pointed straight at Sora's chest; Sora pulled out her Daggers and prepared to defend herself. Agumon and Biyomon waited patiently on the sidelines if they were needed to help…


	7. Battle to the Death

Me: As usual, I don't own Digimon. I love this computer! 

Tai: What for? 

Me: I can write as many Digimon stories on here and not get in trouble! I also don't own "Change into Power" off the Digimon soundtrack. 

Sora: You are continuing from your series, right? 

Me: Of course! I wouldn't leave you two only seconds from combat-one against the other without a fight to the death! 

Tai: That's what worries me...   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Digimon**

**

Skirting the Edge

**

**

Chap.VI-Battle to the Death

**   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Sora closed her eyes tightly as she waited for the Sword of Darkness to cleave her in two, but that time didn't come-for her Daggers of Love came up through the sky and collided with the weapon, which sent Tai sprawling to the ground! 

"Nice job, Sora!" Biyomon complimented. 

"Tai! I'm sorry about that; I didn't mean to! Are you all right?" Sora asked worriedly. 

"Hey! For the moment, he's not our Tai, so go and get him back the only way you know how-by fighting him!" Agumon protested. Sora nodded briefly, then steadied herself for Tai's next attack. 

"Impressive. The Daggers of Love suit you perfectly...just like the Crest of Love suited you." 

Tai declared softly. Sora almost brought her Daggers down, until she saw the glint in his eyes and knew he was setting her up. He lashed out with the Sword, but she quickly counteracted 

with her own weapons. 

_"Thie battle's not gonna be a cakewalk. Tai and I both know each other's moves back to _

_front, so I'll have to find some sort of weakness and exploit it for myself." _   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Yamato "Matt" Ishida ran as fast as he could with Gabumon at his side. 

_"If he's done anything to hurt her, I'll tear him apart with my bare hands, Sword of Darkness_

_ or not!" _Somewhere during his thoughts, he came to a sudden halt. Gabumon hit his legs and fell back onto his rear. 

"What's wrong, Matt? Why'd you stop running?" 

To his surprise, Matt started laughing. That just confused Gabumon even more. 

"This whole time Gabumon, if you'd only Digivolved we'd be there already!" 

"True. Let's do it! Gabumon Digivolve to...GARURUMON!!!" 

Within seconds, Matt and Garurumon shot off like a light.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Daisuke "Davis" Motomiya, atop of Raidramon, raced as fast as possible with the Sword of Courage sheathed by his side. He'd barely made it into the World of Darkness! 

"Davis, what's going on? Is there any reason why we're trying to find Tai and Sora at this 

pace?" Raidramon asked. Davis quickly nodded, but kept silent. 

_"I can't tell Raidramon the real reason why I want him to keep moving. All I know that is if _

_we don't get to where Tai and Sora are at as soon as possible, something terrible will happen _

_to them...something that we won't be able to fix!" _   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


_To all the boys and the girls in the Digital World from near or far_

_We'll be your ultimate friends and until the end wherever you are...oh yeah! _

_Chorus: Change into Power! _

_We've got the power! _

_We got the strength within and we always fight to win it_

_Change into Power! _

_We got the power! _

_Together you and me'll win the victory! _   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Unbeknownst to Davis or Raidramon, Miyako "Yolei" Inoue-Motomiya was keeping an eye 

on Davis from a safe distance while on top of Halsemon. 

"Faster, Halsemon! We've gotta keep up with Davis and Raidramon so they'll lead us to Tai 

and Sora." Halsemon rose one eyebrow up at his partner, but sped up. 

"Yolei, why don't we just ask Davis if we can help him with his search?" 

"Are you kidding, Halsemon? If Dai knew I was here, in my condition, he'd have some babies 

even before me! And, this is the first time he and I will have ever..." Yolei stopped speaking 

for a few seconds to allow some tears to flow as she patted her stomach with concern. 

"Full speed ahead, Halsemon!"   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


The battle between Tai and Sora had grown cataclysmic! Tai had drawn first blood, nearly 

dropping the Sword as the sight of her struggling to keep from crying cut him as deeply as the 

Sword ever could. Sora chose that moment to-with pure reluctance-stab Tai in the side with 

one of her Daggers! Tai cried out as he staggered back in pain, letting Sora see how her touch 

had hurt him even more. 

"Tai, you've given me no choice. I had to do it...why don't you understand?" They both 

stopped as they both had a forgotten memory surface from deep in their minds... 

_Flashback_

_Sora's was of one when she was younger, arguing with her mother. _

_"I want you to give up that silly soccer game and come work in the flower shop." _

_"No, I won't do it!" _

_"Sora, my decision is final!" _

_"Why don't you understand?!" _

_Tai's was of Sora also, but after some time had passed and it was during their first _

_adventure in the Digital World. _

_"I'm the only one left to fight Myotismon." _

_"No, Biyomon! You can't go, not in your condition." _

_"Sora, I have to go!" _

_"No, Biyomon I won't let you! My decision is final!" _

_"Sora, why can't you understand me?" _

_End flashback_

During that brief moment, Sora, Agumon and Biyomon saw a glint of the old Tai buried 

somewhere deep, beneath the darkness that had claimed him. 

"I felt something...I think it was your love shining through..." 

Sora felt something too...tears trickling down her cheeks as she recalled what her best friend 

had said to her after her Crest finally glowed. 

"Oh, Tai..." 

"Howling Blaster!!" 

WHAM! Tai cried out as the ground from underneath his feet gave way and he hurtled down 

toward the Dark Ocean. 

"TAIIIIIIIIIII!" Sora wailed. 

"Tai, hang on! Agumon Warp-Digivolve to...." 

_Digimon: Digital Monters; Digimon are the champions! _

_Warp-Digivolve! _

"...WARGREYMON!!!" 

_Digimon: Digital Monsters; Digimon are the champions! _

_Digimon: Digital Monsters; Digimon are the champions!_

_Digimon: Digital Monsters; Digimon! _

The Dragon Digimon was back for one last battle, as he spun around with his massive 

"Dramon Destroyers" facing the Ocean. 

"Mega Claw!!" WarGreymon caught his partner with only seconds to spare before he 

would've plummeted to his death in the icy waters of darkness!   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Not that far from Tai's position, Davis and Raidramon witnessed the entire event transpire! 

"Whoa! Did you see that, Raidramon? Let's move out and see if Tai needs help!"   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


High up in the sky, Yolei and Halsemon observed the rescue from above Davis' position in 

awe and surprise. 

"Whoa! Did you see that, Halsemon? We've got to see if they need help; I don't care if Davis 

sees me now. Let's go!"   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


As for the other DigiDestined, T.K., Kari, Mimi and Izzy all caught a flight back to Odaiba where Ken, Cody and Joe were all waiting for them with Gennai. 

"Prodigious! So, if my theory is correct, Tai isn't fully healed from whatever force took 

control of him about ten years ago. That means he's in great danger! If Sora strikes him in the 

heart while in the heat of battle..." Izzy began excitedly. 

Gennai finished it up for him. "...Then the Digital World itself is in grave peril. DigiDestined, 

it is time for your own Digimon to tell you of an ancient prophecy that has existed since the 

eight DigiDestined were first chosen." 

"Since the eight of you were chosen to be DigiDestined, a certain number of you were, as you 

hunams say it, 'destined to be.'" Tentomon explained. "When the two of you were 'destined' 

the ancient prophecies started coming true: The time when the hero of Courage risked his 

own life to rescue the heroine of Love within the pyramid... 

_"I'm coming, Sora!" _

_"AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!" _

_"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!" _

"The time when he rescued her from an oncoming Mammothmon, from Andromon, made her 

an undying promise that he has kept to this very day... 

_"I won't let anything happen to you..." _

_"Oh, Tai...you promise?" _

_"Mm-hmm!" _

"He even sent her to search for the heroes of Friendship and Reliability, knowing that without 

the whole team, his efforts to best Piedmon were slim to none... 

_"I have to help Tai or the world will be destroyed!" _

"But suddenly, an event occurred that shattered the very foundation of the Digital World, 

although we didn't know it at the time because we were on Earth with the rest of you 

celebrating Christmas...her feelings were intermixed-between Courage and Friendship!" The 

other DigiDestined had figured it out loooooong before Tentomon was halfway through! 

_"So, um, Sora, are you going to the concert with anybody? I mean, not that it matters to me, _

_uh...Just wondering." _

_"No, I want to be available in case Matt is free afterwards." _

_"Oh, I see. Matt, huh?" _

_"..." _

_"It's okay." _

_"You're not mad at me, Tai?" _

_"No, of course not. Now get in there and say 'Hi' to Matt for me!" _

_"Thanks, Tai..." _

_"The least you could do is leave us the cookies!" _

_"Tell you what-I'll make some special ones for you..." _

_"I'll be waiting...Thanks." _

_"You know what, Tai?" _

_"What?"_

_"You've really grown up!" _

"...And that's the prophecy, decreed long ago by Azulongmon himself that Courage and Love 

would intertwine and become as one and together, they could save the Digital World. But 

ever since Love's affections were sent toward Friendship, the Digital World was badly 

affected and only by reuniting them again in love, spirit and harmony can the Digital World, 

the Real World and the World of Darkness truly be saved." Tentomon finished calmly. 

"Wow! I didn't know my brother was part of an ancient prophecy. I wouldn't have teased him 

so much in the old days if I'd known!" Kari started giggling until Gatomon nudged her with 

an outstretched claw. 

"Sure you would've. That's why Gennai made us promise not to tell you guys until after they 

got married, but I guess this is as good a time as any to tell the lovebirds. Where are they?" 

Gennai's face took on a solemn look. "In the World of Darkness, battling to the death." 

"Then we've got to go there and stop them!" Kari declared angrily. 

"Don't forget these, DigiDestined! Kari, this belongs to you: Your Staff of Light will 

allow you to hit an enemy from even long distances. T.K., your Saber of Hope works like the 

nne on those old "Star Wars" movies in America, but its much more effective." 

"Don't you mean 'defective?'" Ken piped up. Kari and Gatomon both whacked him upside 

his head. 

"Hey! I'm only saying it 'cause Davis isn't here!" 

"If I may? Thank you. Ken, the Blade of Kindness gives you the power to cleave an enemy's 

body in two on impact!" Everyone-including Ken-rushed to the bathrooms to let out their 

lunches. 

"And I thought nothing was more nauseating than having to eat Tai's mother's food!" Izzy 

gasped as they all returned from the respective bathrooms. 

"Izzy, the Book of Knowledge isn't a weapon, but rather, a guide that allows you to keep 

track of every DigiDestined throughout the Digital World, the Real World and the World of 

Darkness. Joe, your 1st aid kit of Reliability gives you the know-how you need to effectively 

cure your friends of any disease, injury or wound-except fatalities. That's the only catch. 

Cody, I have changed your old Kendo stick and transformed it into the Staff of Knowledge &

Reliability. Your fighting skills will not only return to you that which you used in youth, but 

also some new, unused techniques. Mimi, the Ring of Sincerity is very powerful, but very 

dangerous-use it only with extreme caution!" Mimi shivered with slight fear as she placed it 

on her pinky finger. 

"I'd put it on my ring finger, but then you wouldn't be able to see the ring Izzy bought me for 

our wedding!" The others-Izzy excluded-groaned sadly; Gennai sighed. 

"Some people never change...For Davis and Yolei-when you run into them-the Nunchaku of 

Courage & Friendship and the Grappling Hook of Love & Sincerity. And finally, Yamato-one 

whose weapon could be a match for Tai's own Sword of Courage...the Whip of Friendship." 

Ken stepped up with his Blade of Kindness strapped to his side and picked up the box that 

contained Davis, Yolei and Matt's weapons. 

"Then let's go, then! Portal of Darkness, open!"   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


The second WarGreymon and Tai hit the ground safely, he deDigivolved back to Agumon. 

Sora turned and glared at Matt with all the hatred she could muster. She never thought the 

face of one she loved could also possibly be one that she hated. 

"How could you?! I was getting through to him and you cold-heartedly tried to kill him 

by using your own Digimon! You don't deserve the Crest of Friendship even more than you 

don't deserve me as a wife! Effective as of now, we're divorced! With the exception of 

DigiDestined reunions, I don't want to see you, I don't want to talk to you and I don't want to 

be Mrs. Yamato Ishida ever again!" A few moments later, Davis and Yolei ran in with 

Veemon and Hawkmon by their sides-yes, Davis did spot Yolei from above him! 

"Never, Sora..." Unbeknownst to any of the others, Matt had been taken over by the same evil 

that had taken control of Tai so long ago. Sora finally got a good look at the real Tai-his hair 

was more or less the same mop of brown hair from long ago, albeit shorter. And he did wear 

the headband and the jacket with the yellow paw prints, even if the jacket was a tiny bit too small for him. 

"Tai can't win this one! I've got the one thing he's wanted with me now! And if I can't have 

you, no one will!" Matt lunged in a blind rage for Tai's throat, clutching the Sword of 

Darkness; Tai prepared to defend himself. 

"Tai, catch!" Davis tossed Tai the Sword of Courage and the second he caught it, an orange 

glow surrounded him, the Sword's power activated. Problem is, Tai would never get to use 

the Sword, or would he? 

"TAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIII!!" Sora pulled out one of her Daggers and threw it straight for 

Matt's stomach. But, Matt stopped at the last second, and it plunged right into Tai's chest! 

The World of Darkness instantly went even darker than it had already been before! That's 

when the others finally came in. Tai eyed Sora with a final look of longing before he slowly 

dropped to his knees. 

"TAI!" Sora, Kari, Gatomon, Agumon and Biyomon ran to his side, fearing the worst. Joe 

was right behind them, holding his 1st aid kit of Reliability. He immediately went to work, 

trying to heal Tai's wound. Seconds into the procedure, he stopped. 

"What's wrong, Joe? Cure him!" Gatomon demanded. 

"I can't...The wound's fatal." Joe whispered sadly. 

"Sora..." Tai croaked softly. Sora instantly bent down to him. 

"Yeah, Tai?" 

"I'm sorry for all the pain I caused you when I had that Sword...I don't deserve your love..." 

"Tai, of course you do! If anything, _I _don't deserve _your _love! I've been so blinded by Matt's 

good looks that I failed to see the one who loved me for me. If you could just forgive me for what I did...?" 

Tai smiled and stroked her cheek with all the energy he had left. 

"You were forgiven the instant you said you'd make some special ones for me...I love you, Sora..." Tai forced himself upward and kissed her with a passion that had never died out 

despite him being controlled by evil. Sora kissed him back with a fiery passion that hadn't 

died out either-it had just went dormant. 

Sora whispered into Tai's ear with a tone of pure bliss and contentment, "I love you too, Tai...always." 

That's when Tai sighed and his head fell back, to gently land on Sora's lap, his face contorted 

in happiness and joy.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	8. Tai against Matt-Courage V.S. Friendship

Me: I never thought I'd get outta that hospital

Me: I never thought I'd get outta that hospital! I don't own Digimon. I also don't own "The Power of Love" by Huey Lewis & The News. Did you ever see Back to the Future? 

Tai: You do know Season 3's started, right? 

Me: Yeah, I do! I've got plans for this season, plus plans for you guys so you're not out of retirement yet. 

Tai: Oh, boy. 

****

Digimon

Skirting the Edge

Chap. VII-Tai against Matt…Courage V.S. Friendship

"Tai…TAI?!" Sora was near tears, as Tai appeared to go limp in her arms. Matt chuckled with ease as Ken tossed Davis his Nunchaku of Courage and Friendship. Instantly, he whacked Matt upside his head and he dropped to his knees. Everyone-with the exception of Sora and Agumon-turned toward them in shock and amazement. 

"YOU JERK! And you've got the Crest of Friendship. I can't believe I ever looked up to you! Tai deserved Sora a hell of a lot more than you ever did. What did you ever do for her, huh? Saved her from some rocks, a stupid cave? Tai's risked his life for her on more than one occasion. If you wanna fight a hero of Courage, then I'm your man!" Davis was willing to die in order to avenge Tai. No one looked in Tai's direction…at least until he started glowing a bright orange color and opened his eyes. 

"Davis…stand down. I've got this." Tai gasped out. 

"TAI!" Tai was lucky he was standing up, 'cause Sora had pulled him into a big hug and wasn't letting go. 

"Sora…I love you, but I can't fight Matt if you're holding me." Sora blushed as she let Tai go. Davis smirked as he backed down, expecting a good fight. 

__

The power of love is a curious thing

Make a one man weep; make another man sing

Change a hawk to a little white dove 

More than a feeling-that's the power of love

Tai and Matt rose their Swords upward as they faced each other. With a growl, Matt lunged forward toward Tai; he instantly blocked the Sword of Darkness with his Sword of Courage! 

"Listen to me, Matt: You're being controlled by something evil and demonic. I think I know who it is because that was the same evil that was controlling me. Do you hear me, Matt?" Tai asked calmly. 

"SHUT UP!" Matt gained first blood when he swiped at Tai's left arm with the Sword. Tai groaned as he staggered back a bit but was able to steady himself. 

"TAI! Are you all right?" Sora asked worriedly. 

Tai turned to her and nodded. "Fine, Sora. Don't have to worry about me-I can handle him." 

Sora doubted that he was fine, but she knew when Tai needed help. So she ran over to him and gave him a pretty powerful kiss-one that allowed him to avoid Matt's next attack, and to cut Matt on his side with the Sword of Courage. 

__

Tougher than diamonds, bricks like cream 

Stronger and harder than a bad girl's dream

Make a bad one good; make a wrong one right

Power of love that keeps you home at night 

Chorus: You don't need money, don't take fame 

Don't need no credit card to ride this train

It's strong and it's sudden and it's cruel sometimes 

But it might just save your life 

That's the power of love 

That's the power of love

"Nice move, Kamiya…using your girl to gain the advantage like that. You sicken me." Matt replied with an evil grin. Tai felt Sora's love just like he had a long time ago. It made him sad when he thought of what he'd almost done to her a few minutes ago, but that was replaced with anger when he remembered that he was controlled by something evil. He forced himself to calm down and focused on what was important. 

__

First time you feel it, it might make you sad 

Next time you feel it, it might make you mad

But you'll be glad baby when you've found 

That's the power that makes the world go 'round 

Chorus: And it don't take money, don't take fame 

Don't need no credit card to ride this train 

It's strong and it's sudden it can be cruel sometimes 

But it might just save your life…

Tai started forward and slashed Matt's shirt, leaving a bloody gash on his chest. This wasn't making Tai any happier than what he'd tried to do to Sora earlier, but he knew he had to be making process at freeing him. 

"Come on, Matt. Where's the guy I knew who could attract any girl with that song of his-'Just Turn Around,' huh? How far is he down there?" Tai noted with a smile as Matt wavered a bit, the Sword shaking in his hand. 

"You can do it, Tai! You're reaching him. If I'm right, all you have to do is destroy the Sword of Darkness and you'll free Matt from whatever evil has a hold of him!" Izzy yelled out. 

Thinking about Sora, Tai launched himself forward and made one slashing move with his Sword of Courage, which destroyed the Sword of Darkness! With a groan, Matt dropped to his knees. 

__

They say that all in love is fair 

Yeah, but you don't care 

But you know what to do 

When it gets hold of you 

And with a little help from above 

You feel the power of love 

You feel the power of love 

Can you feel it? 

Tai and the other DigiDestined smiled as a dark cloud exited from the shattered Sword and dispersed into nothing. That's when Tai fell to the ground, tired and truly exhausted. 

"TAI!" Sora, Kari and Agumon shot forward and bent down to try to help him. Gennai came in and his solemn look was replaced with a look of sadness and disgust. 

"He's not breathing!" Kari cried out. 

Izzy and Joe came forward with Davis and Yolei, worried looks on everyone's faces. 

"I can't feel a heartbeat!" Izzy realized in shock. 

"I've never seen anything like this…" Joe muttered in slight amazement as he used his 1st aid kit of Reliability to attempt to stop Tai's wounds-the ones that Matt had given him and the ones that Sora gave him-which had returned. 

"What's wrong?" Davis asked impatiently. 

"It's as if all the pain, sorrow, anger and hatred inside him has manifested itself in a viral form; in other words, Tai's being eaten from the inside out." Joe explained. 

Sora got up from Tai's side and turned to Gennai, her eyes filling up with unshed tears. 

"Gennai, what's happened to Tai?" 

Gennai sighed and admitted grimly, "The prophecy hasn't been fulfilled. Therefore, things are being thrown out of whack. Love was supposed to create an unbreakable bond with Courage, and not with Friendship." 

Sora's eyes widened as big as saucers as she realized her mistake. Her tears spilled over her eyelids and rolled down her cheeks. "What?!" 

"It says right here in the prophecy book. You've made a grave mistake, DigiDestined of Love." 

Biyomon chose that time to explain to Sora-as well as the other DigiDestined who hadn't heard it-about the prophecy concerning Courage and Love. When she was finished, Sora started shaking all over. 

"It's all my fault…if I hadn't pushed him away this wouldn't have happened to him. Gennai, please! Use whatever magic you have and bring him back!" Sora pleaded. 

Reluctantly, Gennai shook his head. "Out of the question." 

Davis couldn't believe it. Out of all the DigiDestined, Tai deserved a break the most! "What?! You're one cold hombre, man!" 

"You kids'll never learn anything unless you face the consequences of your actions. If your leader has to die because of your mistake, so be it." Gennai declared. He disappeared without a trace. 

Sora dropped to her knees and started crying. It wouldn't matter if Tai told her to not believe what Gennai said at that moment. It was her fault that everything was out of focus-in the Digital World, the Real World, everywhere! 

"Tai…I love you! I realize that now. I haven't loved anybody else but you, but my mind got in the way of my heart and I was confused. If you came back right now, I'd be the most happiest person in the world. Don't leave me…I can't face this world alone anymore…" Sora bent down and kissed Tai with all the love she had remaining in her body. They both started glowing with reddish-orange light from their weapons. The others-including Matt-stepped back in amazement and awe. When the light faded, Tai's wounds were gone, but his eyes were open. 

"I love you too, Sora…" 

__

It don't take money and it don't take fame 

Don't need no credit card to ride this train 

Tougher than diamonds and stronger than steel 

You won't feel nothin' till you feel 

You feel the power, just the power of love 

That's the power, that's the power of love 

You feel the power of love 

You feel the power of love 

Feel the power of love…


	9. Epilogue-All For Love

Me: I don't own Digimon, nor do I own "All for Love" off of "The Three Musketeers" soundtrack

Me: I don't own Digimon, nor do I own "All for Love" off of "The Three Musketeers" soundtrack! 

Tai: That's an awesome song. 

Me: That's why…I can't tell you now, 'cause if I did then everyone else would too. 

****

Digimon

Skirting the Edge

Epilogue-All For Love

Tai got to his feet and smiled at Sora with ease. 

"Thank you, Sora. I knew you'd be able to bring me back." Tai found himself enveloped in another hug by Sora. This time, she was crying softly on his shoulder. 

"I'm sorry. If I hadn't pushed you away from me, all this wouldn't have happened to us…I don't deserve you, Tai!" Tai shook his head as he bent down and wiped away her tears. 

"Of course you do! You do deserve me. I see all this as a test of our love for each other. You passed Sora! It doesn't matter who said what to whom…you'd always be the only one for me…" Tai lifted her up and eyed Ken with a look. 

"Oh! Right…Portal of Darkness, open!" 

__

Tai: A year has passed since that entire incident and Sora and I got married during that time. Davis and Yolei have had their first child together and he's a chip off the old block! The kid's got Davis' bravery and stubbornness, but Yolei's ingenuity and grace. I've got an idea to celebrate the occasion, but if only Davis and T.K. could help me out here…

"Is there any reason why we're here?" Yolei asked Kari and Sora as they entered a Karaoke bar alongside there Digimon. 

"Tai just wants you three prepared. He, Davis and T.K. got a surprise planned for you guys!" Biyomon replied. 

"Tai, Davis and T.K. brainstormed something? Now I'm scared!" Kari cracked. 

That's when the lights dimmed and a spotlight hit the stage. Tai was standing in the direct center with Agumon beside him. Music had started and once Tai was ready, he started singing. 

__

"When it's love you give…" 

Davis appeared on Tai's right alongside Veemon, smirking with gladness. 

__

"I'll be a man of good faith!" 

T.K. came in out of nowhere with Patamon hanging onto his head like in the old days. 

__

"…Then in love you live." 

The three eyed each other and sang in unison. To Sora, Yolei and Kari's delight, it sounded musical to their ears! 

__

"I'll make a stand, I won't break! 

I'll be the rock you can build on, be there when you're old, to have and to hold!" 

Davis took up the center ring and allowed some tears to roll down his face. 

__

"When there's love inside, I swear I'll always be strong!" 

T.K. took hold of the reins and smiled with calmness as he noticed the other DigiDestined had started clapping in tune with the rhythm. 

__

"Then there's a reason why; I'll prove to you we belong!" 

Davis and T.K. sang together and were still amazed at each other-after all this time, they were still trying to outdo the other! 

__

"I'll be the wall that protects you from the wind and the rain, from the hurt and the pain!" 

Tai added his voice in as the chorus started up. Tai took notice of the fact that Sora was crying quietly, but out of happiness and not sadness. 

__

"Let's make it all for one and all for love! 

Let the one you hold be the one you want, the one you need…

'Cause when it's all for one it's one for all! 

When there's someone that should know then just let your feelings show 

And make it all for one and all for love!" 

Davis and T.K. faded into the background as the second verse started up, knowing that they could add their voices in within a few minutes. 

__

"When it's love you make…" (Tai) 

__

"I'll be the fire in your night!" (Davis & T.K.) 

__

"Then it's love you take." (Tai) 

__

"I will defend, I will fight!" (Davis & T.K.) 

Tai let some tears show as Davis and T.K. reentered back in for the remnant of the song, knowing that the girls would never be able to repay them for this. 

__

"I'll be there when you need me! When honor's at stake, this vow I will make." 

The chorus started up again and the platform on which the guys were standing suddenly rose up in the sky-a little help from Izzy during the beginning, of course. 

__

"That it's all for one and all for love! 

Let the one be the one you want, the one you need…

'Cause when it's all for one it's one for all! 

When there's someone that should know then just let your feelings show 

And make it all for one and all for love!" 

The final verse started up and Sora was truly happy-even though she was crying. Yolei and Kari were simply speechless. That Tai, Davis and T.K. were able to think this up? 

__

"Don't lay our love to rest! 

'Cause we could stand up to the test

We got everything and more than we had planned, more than the rivers that run the land 

We've got it all in our hands…" 

The one thing Tai, Davis and T.K. hadn't counted on was that Sora, Yolei and Kari would jump up onstage and hug them tightly, then join in on the final chorus! 

__

"Now it's all for one and all for love!" 

That's when the other DigiDestined came up onstage and added in their output to the song. 

__

"It's all for love! 

Let the one you hold be the one you want, the one you need…

'Cause when it's all for one it's one for all! 

It's one for all! 

When there's someone that should know then just let your feelings show, 

When there's someone that you want, when there's someone that you need 

Let's make it all, all for one and all for love…" 

The team received a big applause from the entire audience once the song was over-Tai, Davis and T.K. received kisses from Sora, Yolei and Kari a few seconds after that. 

"What was that for?" Davis gasped out. 

"This idea you had to come here…brilliant, Davis. I never knew you could be so conniving." Yolei replied. 

Davis smirked evilly and decided something. 

"Well, T.K. wanted to do something else, but I told him that paintball was too dangerous for us and not for grownups to do…" 

"Did you think up this idea, because Tai and Davis together couldn't think up something this good." Kari noted calmly. T.K. considered telling her the truth, but he figured that she'd just be put in shock afterwards. 

"Actually, I did. Davis wanted to do some waterslide park idea, but I told him that he wasn't a kid anymore…" 

Sora smiled with eagerness as she snuggled up against Tai's chest. "I know this was your idea, because only you would even think about something as drastic as this." 

"True, but I only did it because I love you and only you. And I felt like I had to remind you about it." 

"Can you two quit putting it off and kiss each other already?!" Agumon and Biyomon complained impatiently. Tai and Sora had to laugh. 

"What's wrong with you two?" Tai asked. Sora pulled his head up until it was facing hers with equalness. 

"Let's not disappoint them, Tai. All for one…" 

"All for love." 


End file.
